Player piano



Feb. 4', 1930. A. G. GULBRANSEN 1,745,350

PLAYER PIANO Filed Jan. 24,1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 wi 5sx v SQ Feb. 4,1930. A. G. GULBRANSEN PLAYER PIANO Filed Jan. 24, 1927 s Sheets-Sheet 2Feb. 4, 1930. A. G. GULBRANSEN PLAYER PIANO Filed Jan. 2 1927 3Sheets-Sheet 3 warez G. Gzzlrawsaw Mmzm- M Patented Feb. 4, 1930 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE AXEL G. GULBRANSEN, OF RIVER FOREST, ILLINOIS,ASSIGNOR TO GULBR-ANSEN COM- PANY, or CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,

A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS PLAYER PIANO Application filed January 24,1927. Serial No. 163,016.

This invention relates to player pianos, and more particularly to thatclass of player pianos in which the action is exhausted by pedaloperated bellows or equivalent means.

My invention relates primarily to means for operating the roll motorindependently of the power unit for exhausting the action. By providingpower operated means for driving the roll motor I reduce the volume ofair which has to be handled by the pedal operated means fifty per centor more, greatly decreasing the effort required in operating the pedalsand giving much quicker and more accurate control of the expression. Afurther important feature of my invention is the provision of novelmeans for easily and accurately controlling the operation of the rollmotor exhausting means. Further advantages and objects of my inventionwill appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a front view of a player piano of knownconstruction, with the front boards of the case removed, showing myinvention as applied;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the independence between theroll motor exhausting means and the action exhausting means;

Fig. 3 is a section through the throat of the motor tension reservoir;

Fig. 4. is a diagrammatic view, partly in perspective, of theconnections between the re-roll lever and the shift lever, illustratingthe motor control; and

Fig. 5 is a detail, partly in section, illustrating the exhaust motorcontrol switch and the arm for operating the same on the reroll levershaft.

The player piano illustrated is of known construction and includes theaction of known type which includes the pneumatic stack or wind chest 1upon which are mounted the striker pneumatics, as usual. This pneumaticstack is connected by tube 2 to throat 3 of the power unit 4. This unitincludes equalizers 5 andbellows 6, the bellows being operated by pedals7 connected thereto in a known manner.

The spool box 8 is mounted on a shelf bracket 9 supported above thestack 1. Roll chucks l0 and 11, together with the tracker bar 12 andspool 13 are mounted in the box 8. The chuck 10 and spool 13 havedriving connections with a roll motor 14, which is pneumaticallyoperated and is of known construction, through suitable drivingconnections including a shift lever which controls the operatingconnections between the motor and the spool and chuck for winding themusic sheet 16 off of the roll 17 on to spool 13, or vice versa forre-winding the roll.

The throat 3 of unit 4 is provided at the end thereof adjacent tube 2,with a gate valve (not shown) which is operated in a known manner bymeans of pneumatic 18 controlled by a valve which is connected by tube19 to a silence control valve 20 mounted on the under-face of bracketshelf 9. This valve is normally closed but may be opened by means of abutton 21 extending through bracket shelf 9 and is also openedautomatically by a pin 22 carried by shift lever 23 and disposed forcontact with the inclined lower face of head 24 of the valve structure.TVhen the valve 20 is opened atmospheric air is admitted through thetube 19 connecting the pneumatic 18 to the equalizer 5 thus collapsingthe pneumatic and through the connections 25 closing the gate valve.This cuts 0H communication between the throat of the unit 4 and theother parts of the action communicating therewith in such manner as toeliminate possibility of playing of any note during rewinding of theroll. Gate valves and means for operating the same, controlled by asilence control valve, for rewinding, are well known in the art. Anarrangement of the throat, gate valves, and associated parts similar tothat above described is disclosed in my patent for player piano, Number1,563,977, issued December 1, 1925.

- The player piano so far described is of well-known construction inthis art and the various mechanisms operate in the usual manner. Thepresent practice is to connect the roll motor 14 to the power unit 4S0as to be exhausted thereby, a suitable governor and tempo valve beingprovided for regulating the speed of the motor and varying the can bevaried at the will of the player by'in-" creasing or decreasing therapidity ofoperation of the pedals thus correspondingly increasing ordiminishing the air tension in the action system. In this: respect themanually I operated player piano has a very distinct advantage over theso-called reproducer piano which all parts are-operated by'power and aspecial expression device is provided which automatically varies theexpression in accordance with penforations of the music sheet. Thisfeature of thereproducer player piano is objectionable as the player hasno control whatever over the expression and the individuality of theplayer does not enter at alliintothe rendition of theselection played.For this. reason many persons prefer the manually operated type ofplayer piano even though this necessitates operation of the pedalsi.Byprovidinm means for operating the roll motor independently of theaction exhausting means, this objectionis avoided and; as; previouslynoted, the volume of air handled is reduced by atleast fifty per cent,greatly increasing the ease with which the pedals are: operated and alsogiving a: more delicate control; of, the expression.

I provide: a suitable: device in the nature.

of a pump or exhauster for exhausting the motor independentlyof theaction exhaustingmeans. In theparticul'ar form illuse tratedthis deviceconsists of an exhaust fan which issecured upon. armature-shaft 26 of anelectricmotor27 of suitable type. This fan operates in a casing 28 theintake of which is connected by a. tube 29 to a tension reservoir 30.This reservoir is provided at one end with; a throat 31 divided. by aparti tion 32 (Fig. 3): lHtOzbWO-CllfilllbQIS 33* and 34. Chamber 33 hasdirect communication with reservoir by a: duct35 and chamber 34 isconnected by a tube 36 tothe exhaust of motor 14. Partition. 32isprovided with an opening 37 which is normally closed by a gate valve38. Thisgate valve isoperated by a 1 pneumatic 39 connected by link 40tocrank 39* ofthe valve rod 39 to be moved into open position when thepneumatic is collapsed. Communication between this pneumaticaand throat31 is controlled byJa valve which is: actuated by atmospheric pressureadmitted through a tube 41 which communicates with the silence controlvalve 20; The tension reservoir has associated therewith a governor 42and? a tempo valve 43- mounted on the throat'3l this valveand thegovernor being both of known type. The tempo valve is connected to thetempo lever 44 by an adjustable connecting rod 45 and is operated in theusual manner to control the speed of the motor. A governor and tempovalve and associated parts arranged and related: as above set forth aredisclosed in my Patent 1 ,563,977 7 previously referred to, and are nowwell known the art. vVhen rewinding the music. roll, the silence controlvalve 20 is at high speed when rewinding the music sheet. It will beseen that by this arrangement th means for operating the roll motor isentirely separate and independent from the exhausting means and thevolume of air to be handled is reduced by at least fifty per centgreatly increasing. the ease of operation of the action exhausting meansand also giving a very accurate and delicate control of the expression.It will also be noted that-the motor can be readily controlled in thesame manner and'by the-samemeans as is employed for this purpose in thepresent type of player piano; in

which the motor is exhausted by the same means as is. employed forexhausting the action.

Operation of the electric motor27, and the driving connections between;the roll motor '14. and the spool: 13 and roll :chuck- 10,. are

controlled by the re-roll lever 46 which is supported on the key bed 47;adjacent the tempo lever 44. The key bed also supports the key locklever and the sustaining and melody leverswhichare mounted thereon. intheir usual positionsi Lever 46 issecured to, one end of a shaft 47lockably mounted: on

the under face of theikey bed in the. usual manner. This shaft isprovided with a depending arm 48 to which issecured one end of a rod. 49the other end of which. is pivoted to an armbOat the lower end of.avertical shaft 51 which is rockablymounted adjacent one end; of theplayer pianov case. This shaft isprovided at its upper'endwith an arm.52 connected: by a: rod. 53 to; the lower end of shift lever 23. Thisconnection between the re-roll lever and the shift lever is, broadly,very commonly employed in, player pianos buthas been varied by aprovision of a special connection between the rod .53 and: the lower endof lever 23. The shift lever is provided at itslower end with a.horizontally tion of the outwardlyben-tend portion of rod 53. Thisbentportion or fingerbb of the rod is normally held at theleft hand. end (asconsidered in Fig. 4)} of slot 55 by-atensibn elongated head 54 having/a$1013.55 for recepl Bil spring 57 connecting lever 23 and rod 53. Thisconnection permits movement of the re-roll lever 46 in a clockwisedirection beyond that required to move the shift lever 23 into rollrewinding position.

A control switch 58 of known type is connected in series in the circuitof motor 27. This switch includes an on push button 59 and an off pushbutton 60. These buttons are disposed to be operated by two integrallyconnected arms 61 and 62, respectively, secured to shaft 47 and disposedtransversely thereof. The angular relation be tween the arms 61 and 62is such that when the shaft 47 is turned to full re-wind position thearm 62 is out of contact with button 60. After the music sheet has beencompletely rewound the lever 46 is turned into its extreme position inclockwise direction thus bringing the arm 62 into contact with button 60and depressing this button so as to open the switch and stop the motor.In starting to play the lever 46 is turned in a counterclockwisedirection into playing position, in the usual manner, shifting the shiftlever 23 into playing position, at which time button 59 is depressed byarm 61 to close the circuit setting motor 27 into operation. IVhileother means may be provided for controlling the electric motor 27 andthe roll motor, I prefer to employ the means illustrated and abovedescribed as this conforms more closely to the standard practice andpermits the use of the levers now commonly used in player pianos forthis purpose.

IVhat I claim is z- 1. In a player piano, music roll unwinding andrewinding means, pedal operated wind chest exhausting means, and powermeans for operating said unwinding and rewinding means, said operatingmeans being independent of the wind chest exhausting means duringoperation of said unwinding and rewinding means in unwinding direction.

2. In a player piano, music roll unwinding and rewinding means includinga roll motor, pedal operated wind chest exhausting means, and poweroperated means for exhausting the roll motor, the motor exhausting meansbeing independent of said wind chest exhausting means during operationof the unwinding and rewinding means in unwinding direction.

3. In a player piano, music roll unwinding and rewinding means includinga roll motor, wind chest exhausting means, and means for exhausting theroll motor, the motor exhausting means being independent of the windchest exhausting means during operation of the unwinding and rewindingmeans in unwinding direction.

4. In a player piano, music roll unwinding and rewinding means includinga roll motor, wind chest exhausting means, and power operated pumpingmeans connected to the roll motor, said pumping means being independentof the wind chest exhausting means during operation of the unwinding andrewinding means in unwinding direction.

5. In a player piano, music roll unwinding and rewinding means includinga roll motor provided with an exhaust, pedal operated wind chestexhausting means, an exhauster having its intake connected to the rollmotor exhaust, and a motor driving said exhauster, the exhauster beingindependent of the wind chest exhausting means during operation of theunwinding and rewinding means in unwinding direction.

6. In a player piano, music roll unwinding and rewinding means includinga roll motor provided with an exhaust, pedal operated wind chestexhausting means, an exhaust fan having its intake connected to the rollmotor exhaust, and a motor driving said fan, the fan being independentof the wind chest exhausting means during operation of the unwinding andrewinding means in unwinding direction.

7. In a player piano, music roll unwinding and rewinding means includinga roll motor, pedal operated wind chest exhausting means, and powermeans for operating the roll motor simultaneously with and independentlyof the operation of the wind chest exhausting means during operation ofthe unwinding and rewinding means in unwinding direction.

In witness whereof, I hereunder subscribe my name this 19th day ofJanuary, 1927.

AXEL G. GULBRANSEN.

